• Question: How does Brexit affect your work

    Asked by Joe to Alex, Carmel, Kath, Sean, Steve, Valerie on 13 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Carmel Howe

      Carmel Howe answered on 13 Nov 2017:


      A controversial question. I love it! Currently I don’t think Brexit has affected my work personally. I do know people that it has affected in terms of getting money for research. Also a lot of the European researchers I work with are very scared with what the future holds for them and remaining in research in the UK so many have started looking for opportunities abroad. It would be such a shame to lose so much talent because of Brexit but I can’t see anyway around it.

    • Photo: Kathryn Thomas

      Kathryn Thomas answered on 13 Nov 2017:


      Brave question! Well currently I am actually paid by EU funding, so although that won’t end when we leave the EU as it’s already agreed but it does make me upset that other people won’t potentially get this opportunity that I’ve had. Science and engineering rely so much on people from all over the world and Europe collaborating so it’s a shame that Brexit will make this much more difficult. 🙁

    • Photo: Valerie Bentivegna

      Valerie Bentivegna answered on 14 Nov 2017:


      Wow, what a question!
      I was in an EU-funded project, so I think it will influence future projects like mine, as there will be less money available and it will be more difficult to set up collaborations overseas.
      Personally, I don’t think it will have much effect on me, except that I am now even more keen to find my next job somewhere out of the UK, to be honest.

    • Photo: Stephen Lang

      Stephen Lang answered on 14 Nov 2017:


      Where I freelance, if my clients lose work, so do I!

    • Photo: Sean Doherty

      Sean Doherty answered on 14 Nov 2017:


      Hi! Almost half the great people in our lab and lots of the NHS staff I work with are from other eu countries.Also, in research a lot of the money currently come from EU, as do a lot of our collaborators (helping with projects). If migration becomes more difficult (less appealing) for scientists and if funding opportunities for research are not replaced it will have a big impact on UK research and future jobs in the sector!

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